LEGISLATION OF 1901. 



15 



Thus, by gradual stages, from the simple prohibition of 1830 

 against killing deer and moose, has been developed the comprehensive 

 law in force to-day protecting all the big game and nearly all the birds 

 found within the State, and prescribing the times and methods for their 

 capture. The close seasons have undergone numerous changes during 

 the sevent}^ years, but those for moose and deer are much the same as 

 they were originally, having merely lengthened a little at each end. 

 As a matter of interest, the different close seasons for big game from 

 1830 to date are here tabulated: 



Close seasons for Big Game in Maine. 



Year. 



Deer. 



Moose. 



Caribou. 



1830 -Tfl.n 1-Spnt 1 



Jan, 1-Sept. 1 





184] 



1848 



Julv 1-Nov. 1 



July 1-Nov. 1 





Mat 1 .Tnlv 1 



Mar. 1-July 1 





1853 i -Tan 15-Spnt 1 



Apr 15-Oct 1 





1855 



1870 





Mar. 15-Oct. 1 





Fph l-Opt 1 



Feb 1-Oct 1 



Feb. l-Qpt. 1. 



1883 -Tan 1 Opt 1 



Jan 1 Oct 1 



Jan. 1-Oct. 1. 



1899 



Dec. 15-Oct. 1 . . 



Dec. 1-Oct. 15 



Protected to 1905. 









LEGISLATION OF 1901. 



The opening year of the new century has witnessed an unprece- 

 dented interest in game protection. Nearl}^ four-fifths of the States 

 and Territories have enacted some amendments to their game laws. 

 These amendments vary from a slight change in the Delaware law 

 regarding close seasons to the adoption of a general game law or code 

 in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, 

 Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. Changes in 

 dates for opening or closing the seasons have been veiy general, but 

 restrictions on methods of capture, on sale, shipment, and storage, 

 have also been numerous. In many instances the laws have necessa- 

 rily become more complex, but there has been a strong tendency 

 toward extending protection to more kinds of game, shortening the 

 seasons, limiting bags, and throwing greater restrictions about the 

 trade in game. Nebraska and Missouri, which suffered severely from 

 wholesale shipments of game last year, have joined the great majority 

 of States in adopting stringent nonexport laws, leaving less than half 

 dozen States now without protection of this kind. (See PI. VIll.) 

 ►ther States, notably Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and 

 [Washington, have restricted hunting by requiring licenses of non- 

 [resident hunters, a common method, particularly in the Middle West, 

 for providing a game protection fund. Nebraska, South Dakota, and 

 Washington have followed the example of Michigan, Minnesota, 

 iNorth Dakota, and Wisconsin in requiring residents as well as non- 

 5037— No. 16—01 2 



